HORTUS ON TOUR - ANGLESEY ABBEY

We'd usually we out and about visiting gardens fairly often over the Summer, although not this year.  But I'm stepping out of my own garden this week to do a post on a long time favourite garden of mine - Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire.   The Abbey is a 17th Century country house with a 114 acre garden, which was laid out by Lord Fairhaven.  Much of this is sweeping lawns, mature trees and sculptures.  Nearer the house are smaller formal garden areas. 

1. The Temple Lawn

This photo shows one of the many areas of rolling lawns, mature trees and sculpture.  This one is known as the temple lawn, and was created in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.  The columns were from a demolished London town house.  In the centre is a copy of Bernini's David and Goliath.



2. The Rose Garden

Around the house there are more intimate gardens.  The Rose Garden has a series of rectangular beds, each containing a single variety of rose, most of them are David Austin Roses.







3. Dahlias


The immaculately maintained formal garden of bedded out dahlias and cannas in  hot colours is hidden behind yew hedges.



A separate crescent shaped garden has tall Dahlias arranged by colour.  It's impressive but I'm not a big fan of the heavy staking that they seem to require, which I find jars somewhat.



4. Espalier Pear


I do love a beautifully trained tree - and this one is huge.  




5. Herbaceous Border 




Fancy being faced with sorting out this mass of bindweed? Me neither.  This is the herbaceous border, a part of the garden which I've really loved on previous visits.  It looked in a sorry state this time.  The Gardens and Outdoor Manager, Tom Fradd, took the time to explain to me the problems they've had.  80% of the staff were furloughed in March, and even now three vital members of their team are still furloughed, and they are also missing their volunteer team of over 30.  Then there was the need for extra watering during the recent heatwave and the damage from the subsequent storms to add to their problems.  The team had been forced to set priorities and concentrate on the parts of the garden that are currently in season.

Considering the conditions they've been working under, the gardens team have done a fantastic job.  

And after that I want to end on a high note.

6. Cyclamen

There was a carpet of Cyclamen either side of this wooded path.  It looked amazing.




I'll be back in my garden next week.  In the meantime don't forget to view the other Six on Saturdays on The Propagator.

Comments

  1. Oh goodness...the Pyrus is so amazing. I wonder how many years it took to achieve that? And the cyclamen path. Gorgeous.

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  2. It looks like a very pretty abbaye ! And this pear tree… a stunner!....wow

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  3. Wow to the dahlias! So many. The cyclamen path is lovely.

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  4. Looks lovely. I've put the Abbey on my to visit list

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  5. Yes, the pear would win my heart; developed into a perfect shape; years of cultivation and training and it is just fabulous. I'm with you re the stakes with the dahlias. I have seen this in another garden and thought it looked so very heavy-handed, clunky, eye-catching in a distracting and offensive way! Yeugh! Lucky you to be able to get out to visit gardens, something we have sorely missed this year. Anglesey Abbey is an excellent garden for snowdrops and I grow one bearing the name.

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  6. So many great spots to enjoy on your visit to the garden. Like others, I'd have enjoyed viewing those dahlias. The rectangular rose garden seems unique; have you seen such a plan in other gardens?

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    1. I've been trying to think whether I have seen that layout for a rose garden before. I don't recall seeing one.

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  7. Those cyclamen must cover an area several times the total area of my garden. Yet I'm still thinking how I could scale it down to fit. Think big, garden small, that's me.

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    1. That was my first thought too - where can I do that, and how would I propagate enough plants!

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  8. That Pear tree is amazing. I wonder how long it has taken to grow it like that. The amount of dahlias too is an impressive sight, but I agree with you about the staking. I’m not keen on the regimented method of displaying dahlias in lines with sticks. I feel that of they’re grown purely for cutting, then that’s ok, but I prefer to see them in a less formal setting, where surrounding planting helps to support them.

    The carpet of cyclamen is a sight to behold. Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for the visit to Anglesey Abbey. :)

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  9. What a beautiful garden. The Cyclamen are definitely wow!

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  10. love the pear tree! very neat and ordered. i'll skip over the bindweed *shudders*

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